Paderno is considered to be high-end cookware. Although I have never seen or used a Paderno piece, I have seen Lincoln Wear-ever's Centurion line of pots and pans which are made by Paderno. It looks and feels wonderful, much better than Sitram, say, and the observed quality is high. I saw the equipment in a local restaurant supply store here in Rutland, VT known for their reasonable prices and high quality restaurant gear.

Our personal stuff here at home consists of some much beloved older and newer All-Clad, Calphalon, Mauviel 2.5/3.0 mm Cupretam (tinned) copper and some 30-year-old Farberware which I think we are going to replace with the Paderno/Lincoln stuff. Go ahead and do it; I bet you won't be sorry!

I knew someone who used to be a chef... her favored cookware was Paderno, & she noted that it often goes on sale for 50% off at ?Sears (& I've seen at Home Hardware and other stores.... Paderno's website has a list of retailers). There was a big sale last week but it looks like it's continued on their Internet site.

Another person told me they loved their stainless steel Paderno roaster... the one with a rack, handles off to the side and flat lid that could double as another pan. I see it's on now for $99. I bought one but haven't used it yet; I do like the look. I have one of their ?1-litre saucepans which I like very much.

I also got 2 sizes of their non-stick pans, after being fed up with our cheapo ones peeling and scraping. Admittedly they were expensive even on sale and we minimize their use, but they're great to use and clean. I did give hubby extra reminders about being careful scraping as he often uses them for eggs, and do put paper towel in between for stacking... so far they still look perfect.

I have a set of Paderno's stainless steel mixing bowls (set of 3 plus a larger one) that I love - they're not flimsy; they feel like an indulged treat to use (which they are, since I did already have adequate cheap plastic bowls and some Pyrex bowls). I do see similar looking ones around for about the same price or maybe cheaper but don't know about the relative quality. Oddly, I just looked at their website and saw the bowls at one point, but then couldn't find them again when I went to look. Also couldn't find their shipping prices; if memory serves me correctly when I ordered from a similar "special" sale the shipping was free, perhaps if the order was over a certain amount. I like that Paderno is made in Canada.

Our main cookware is now Belgique Classique... we got a 7 piece set several years ago as a gift. Once I learned how to use them better and clean out accidental burns (ooops), I loved them.... and now have added other pieces (at 50% off sales at the Bay). I like Belgique's rounded handles, which to me are easier to pick up for my sometimes-weakish hands and fingers, and I also like the rounded sort of old-fashioned look. Our first set was made in Belgium, but now they're made in China, and the bottoms are a bit different (the older ones don't have a "ridge or separation" between the bottom round part and the body of the pot/pan). I'm curious as to why Macy's in the U.S. no longer seems to carry the non-copper bottomed version as per my last look at their website (when I was looking for Belgique bargains).

To put my experience in context, my previous "good" cookware was copper bottomed Revereware, inspired by my mom's set, and a gift set of Silverstone teflon that we've since gotten rid of. Not til browsing this forum some time ago did I learn that Revereware's not recommended for flat topped stoves. I don't cook "often enough"; am looking forward to doing more and more cooking and learning to make best use of all our cookware.... and do so appreciate when I get to browsing these forums!

Whew.... didn't intend to say quite so much but I like reading others' opinions and experiences so have gone a little off the Paderno subject. Good luck with your final choice(s).... I'd be interested in hearing how you like them if you do get them as they also make good gifts... as I enjoy my "better" cookware, I also like to treat some people to the same.

Forgot to say... before investing a lot in cookware you hope to enjoy and keep a long time, it would be helpful if you could go see and handle at least some of the pieces in person, particularly some heavy ones.

And they have a line calledgChaudierÂh on their website; I'm not sure what the differences are compared to the "Paderno" line.

I discovered when using one of our non-stick (bluish color; I think there are different kinds) Paderno frypans, that there ARE nicks in the surface!! :-(
I must watch dh next time he cooks with it.... and perhaps will change to the silicone utensils rather than the somewhat hard plastic ones. Darn, I hope the surface scratching doesn't progress... not only because it was a bit pricey, but for the waste if it becomes unusable.

I have been using Paderno cookware for over 25 years to cook for my large family. I love this cookware. The construction is top quality. The steel is heavy and the handles are securly welded on. It performs well. The heavy aluminum pad on the bottom distributes the heat quickly.

Here are some of my 25+ year old pots. I like the fact that the lids fit over the handles, so I can hang them together.